toughest yet

this guy is my toughest yet.
why? you ask.
unless, you don't see us often - you can guess why.
he has lots of opinions. LOUD OPINIONS.

my 3rd child is a yeller, a squalker, a shriller. whatever you call it- it is loud and it gets immediate attention from me and the entire restaurant or mall or store.

he doesn't do it all the time. he doesn't do it just when he's mad or sad or displeased or happy.
HE JUST DOES IT.

i think to get attention. to be heard in this wild and crazy world of ours.
but, geez... it must stop.

he is learning to talk. he is learning to communicate. and screams can not be apart of it.

i have struggled so much with it. it is a first for me. i thought i was a pro at the ole mom thing then, what? something different?

my kids are supposed to be sweet angels! he he!
no, he is an angel- just the devil gets a hold of him sometimes.

anyways, i am on the road to squashing this behavior as much as possible with a 1 yr old.
consistancy, consistancy. i know it is key.

but man, this lady looked at me like i was crazy for swatting my baby's leg at TJ MAXX today. would she rather go deaf?

oh well, like i said i am struggling.

having 3 kids and 3 different needs all the time can be a challenge. life never stops.
and i love it and i want to do it right.

one sweet friend suggested a squirt bottle- spritzing the face when the scream occurred. great idea i thought- but, can you imagine that in TJ MAXX? still, i think it's generally a good idea. one that truly gets the point across.

beyond the vocalization this little man has- he also has determination. see a goal- go for it no matter the consequences. wow, and he's only 1. i have a long road ahead of me. i actually shed a few tears tonite over the situation.

who was that mom and fussy kid in the mall tonight?- if you were wondering? it was me. i never ever want to be that mom. how humbling. my kid pitched a fit and i spanked him. we did this more than once and then left. (though, not soon enough) p.s. sorry to my friends there with us tonite. i am hard core working on our issues. but, geez louise, why did we have to start at 1?

so my friends, hang with me. i will make this pass.
and any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

...but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Proverbs 14:24

oh, and the pic above- celebrates promotion to a forward facing big boy carseat. yeah!